TNAG-0980-FCO40-1199-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 192

CONFIDENTIAL

4. AMONGST THE BETTER INFORMED GROUP COMPRISING CUKC HONG KONG PASSPORT HOLDERS' CONCERN HAS BEEN EXPRESSED WHETHER THEIR RIGHT OF ENTRY ON VISITS TO THE UK WOULD NOT BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED AND WHETHER OTHER COUNTRIES MIGHT IN FUTURE REQUIRE HONG KONG BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS TO APPLY FOR VISAS AS A RESULT OF THE PROPOSALS.

5. MOST ENQUIRIES SO FAR TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT BY THE PUBLIC CONCERN THE EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSALS ON ENTRY OF HONG KONG

RESIDENTS TO THE UK.-

6. PRESS REACTION HAS HOWEVER NOT BEEN SUSTAINED AT THE INITIALLY HIGH LEVEL, THOUGH INTEREST CONTINUES. WE ARE CORRECTING SOME OF THE WILDER STATEMENTS, BUT THE PROPOSALS HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY GIVEN RISE TO SOME UNEASINESS THAT MORE IS BEHIND THESE CHANGES THAN IS

APPARENT FROM THE PROPOSALS THEMSELVES.

CATER

MINIMAL

HK & GD

NTD

[THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED]

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CONFIDENTIAL

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE, LONDON